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YippyKiYay
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Powder measurer for black powder
Yesterday at 3:41am
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Ok guys,  I've been reloading since 1980, same time I started casting boolits and shooting a muzzleloader.  But I've never reloaded a black powder cartridge.
My favorite measurer is my old RCBS Uniflow, checking things with my Ohaus scales.
I understand it's not a great idea to use the RCBS with holy black. 
So... what's my options and choices? 
I have a feeling I'm be looking for an old B&M, but I thought I'd ask. 
So mote it be
Yip
  

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rkaires
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Re: Powder measurer for black powder
Reply #1 - yesterday at 5:56am
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For black powder cartridge I preferred the B&M until I  purchased the MVA measure. The MVA is just a modern version of the B&M.

Bob
  

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Re: Powder measurer for black powder
Reply #2 - yesterday at 6:36am
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I’ve used a Belding & Mull for years, price dependent today would probably buy a new MVA. Nice B&M could cost nearly  as much as the MVA 

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stevenjay1
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Re: Powder measurer for black powder
Reply #3 - yesterday at 7:37am
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Another option is the old Lyman 55 powder measure.  I’ve always used one and found it to be very accurate.
  

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gunlaker
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Re: Powder measurer for black powder
Reply #4 - yesterday at 8:48am
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MVA for sure. 

Chris.
  
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Skalkaho
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Re: Powder measurer for black powder
Reply #5 - yesterday at 11:43am
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Lyman 55 with tail pipe for hopper. Put all brass  adjustments in straight line and slowly push in or out till you hit your powder weight.Lock it down. VERY accurate! I had 6 at one time,all set for each gun ready to go.And there cheap! LOL
  

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nuclearcricket
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Re: Powder measurer for black powder
Reply #6 - yesterday at 12:50pm
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The B&M measure works well if you have a drop tube big enough for your power charge.  The Lyman 55 also works well. I have one I put a larger brass hopper on and that makes it quite nice. 
I picked up a used one from this site I think and I used it to play around to see if I could come up with a solid set up to bore out the measure to fit a brass hopper and I did. it worked quite well. 
I have been told that the Readding measure works very well also. What ever measure you choose, you will have to take it apart and clean it regularly. 
Any measure that can be adjusted to throw a large charge and hold constant measurements would work.
Sam
  
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JHand
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Re: Powder measurer for black powder
Reply #7 - yesterday at 1:02pm
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I use a Belding and Mull with the mva micrometer and it works great. The lyman 55 is good too, there's one in the for sale section now
  
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gunlaker
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Re: Powder measurer for black powder
Reply #8 - yesterday at 2:17pm
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Also, if you have the larger Harrell's measure it will work very well with Swiss 1.5.  I bought one with an aluminum hopper from Buffalo Arms years ago.
  
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YippyKiYay
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Re: Powder measurer for black powder
Reply #9 - yesterday at 9:48pm
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Thanks to everyone for the replies.  After posting last night I got online and found a B&M with a drop tube.
Are the drop tubes adjustable?  Will I need more than one?  I don't plan on using more than 90gr fffg. 
I currently reload for 43 Spanish,  45-70,  56-50 Spencer,  577 Snider but with smokeless for all.  I recently started making my black powder so I'll be using more BP for cartridge ammo instead of just muzzleloaders. 
Here's a pic of the drop tube on the B&M.  Any idea how much it holds?



  

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Re: Powder measurer for black powder
Reply #10 - Today at 6:41am
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I have a micrometer adjustable drop tube for my B&M. Bought so long ago I can’t recall were, it’s very useful. You can set a non mike tube with a dial indicator, I did before  the adjustable tube.

Rarely load Black Powder cartridges today sticking to muzzle loaders for black. The B&M reserved  for 38/55 4759 loads. 4227 15-16 grains nothing throws better than Harrell’s Schuetzen   Have another Harrell measure, one of his first, used it when shooting High Power Silhouette. Works well with large volume drops.

That’s all I know about measures.

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JHand
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Re: Powder measurer for black powder
Reply #11 - Today at 8:10am
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B&M made 2 drop tube sizes, regular and magnum, im not sure which one is in the picture.  The MVA micrometer drop tube fits, and is very repeatable. I have my original tube set to throw the load for my main BPCR, and I don't change that one, and I use the MVA tube for everything else
  
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gnoahhh
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Re: Powder measurer for black powder
Reply #12 - Today at 11:12am
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I use my old B&M measure at home at the bench, as I have for around 4 or 5 decades for everything from 2gr. Bullseye up through massive quantities of slow burning smokeless and black. Ditto for metering black at the range/match. (For smokeless at the range/match I'm a fanboy of the Harrel's Schuetzen measure.)

I have an RCBS measure that I bought years ago in a moment of weakness which I've never used. If anybody wants it I'll sell it cheap.
  
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Re: Powder measurer for black powder
Reply #13 - Today at 11:36am
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Years ago I went on a Belding and Mull buying spree. I found some brass tube of the correct diameter and made a 12” hopper.  I also made some drop tubes using two pieces of hardware store thin walled brass tubing one glued inside the other with a threaded adjustment feature. I have 5 or so tubes dedicated to different rifles.   
I have an unusual variant that has a plastic window and hopper that is painted green. It is labeled ‘Tuckahoe’ which is the city where B&M was located. 

Jack
  

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Re: Powder measurer for black powder
Reply #14 - Today at 1:35pm
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I just can't fathom any powder drop simpler and more reliable than a B&M. I found a muzzle loading powder measure at Track of the Wolf years ago that will handle 100 grains or more that has an internal plunger scale you can set for different load weight. It slips perfectly into the B&M drop hole. 

Rick
  
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